Automatic lubricant injector for internal combustion engines



AUTOMATIC LUBRICANTINJETOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES [Filed Jan. 2o, 1939 vil 2o" w E 1 r0e 1/ CO/V/V/f' 5. 15/664 Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC LUBRICANT INJECTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Connie B. Leigh,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 20, 1939, Serial No. 251,949

3 Claims.

due to the deposit and consequent lubrication of the inner faces of the cylinder walls of the engine with graphite. It has been found that where lubricant, such as colloidal graphite, is used forthe lubrication of the pistons in the engine cylinders, 7

there is a marked increase in compression of the engine in operation, also a substantial reduction in oil consumption, aswell as minimizing wear between the pistons and the faces of the piston chambers.

The principal object of invention is, to

generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of automatic lubricant injectors and to provide a highly eflective 5 injector utilizing a ball check valve that is closed by the vacuum prevailing in the intake manifold of the engine during the suction stroke and which valve acts automatically by gravity and by the varying degrees of vacuum developed in the intake manifold and engine cylinders to automatically control the feeding of the colloidal graphite or other lubricant to the engine cylinders. In operation, the valve is closed to cut off the flow of lubricant to the engine cylinders by the relatively high vacuum prevailing in the intake manifold and engine cylinders, opens by gravity under low vacuum conditions, and said valve permitting flow of vaporized lubricant to the engine cylinders during mean vacuum conditions.

an automatic lubricant injector of the character referred to that comprises relatively few parts, thus minimizing the possibility of the device not functioning properly under all conditions, further, to provide a construction that may be easily assembledor taken apart and further, to provide an injector that functions after the manner I 5; be hereinafter more fully described and claimed Further objects of my invention are, to provide and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an automatic lubricant injector constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the injector.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the automatically acting valve and showing the same in neutral position.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodb ment of my invention, l0 designates a container for the liquid lubricant, which container is preferably formed of glass and, removably applied to the mouth or open upperend of said container is a cap I I, preferably formed of metal. Formed integral with the marginal edge of the cap is a depending flange l2 that surrounds the lip that is formed around the mouth of the container III.

In order that air may enter the lubricant container, there is no gasket or packing element arranged between the lip of the container and the under side of the cap'and the irregularities of manufacture-of the lip on the container and the under surface of the cap provide sufllcient clearance for air to be drawn into the container while the injector is in operation.

Cap Ii is retained in position on the container III by means of a ball it formed of spring wire, the ends of which are pivotally mounted at diametrically opposite points on the cap II and said ball passing beneath the container. Pivotally mounted on that portion of thebail that passes beneath the container is a cam pin H which, when moved into a vertical position produces tension in the bail that acts to press the container and cap toward each other and maintain the same firmly in assembled relation.

Formed integralwith cap II is a block ii, in the upper portion of which is formed'a bore l6 closed at its inner end and, seated in block I5 and communicating with said bore ll isv a tube ll. thatfunctions as a duct for conveying vaporized lubricant from the injector to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine with which the injector is used. c v

Formed on the under side of the cap I I directly below the inner portion of block i5 is a block i8 in which isformed a valve chamber is Leading from the upper end of chamber is to the inner portion of bore i6 is a short vertically disposed aperture 20 and, formed in the block ll at the juncture of this aperture with valve chamber I9 is a valve seat 2|. Loosely positioned within valve chamber i9 is a valve 23, preferably a sphere of metal'which, under certain conditions of operation is adapted to rest on the seat 2| and thereby cut ofl the flow of vaporized lubricant to aperture 20, bore l3, and duct l'l.

Screw seated in the lower portion of valve chamber I9 is a disc 24 provided in its upper face with a seat 25 for the accommodation of the valve 23 and, formed inthis disc and leading downwardly from the lowermost portion of the valve seat 25 is an aperture 26.

Screw seated in the lower portion of disc 24 is the open upper end'of a tube 21 that communicates with the aperture 26 and the open lower end of this tube terminates. adjacent the upper surface of the bottom of the container l0.

Formed in the disc 24 to the side of the aperture 26 is a small duct or aperture 28, the upper bustion engine, it is advisable to feed a certain amount of lubricant into the engine and, in order to do this cap 30 is removed and by means of a suitable implement inserted through the apertures 29 and 20, the ball 23 is unseated and held in a neutral position as illustrated in; Fig. 4 and the engine is operated so as to draw liquid lubricant from the container through the cap II and duct H to the intake manifold of the engine and from said manifold the lubricant enters the valve and piston chambers of the engine.

After thisinitial charge of lubricant has been fed to the engine, container I0 is refilled with liquid lubricant and cap 30 is replaced so as to close the aperture 29.

While the engine is running idle a relatively high degree of vacuum is developed within the intake manifold and the piston chambers. This relatively high vacuum draws the ball valve 23 against seat 2| so as to cut off all flow of vaporized lubricant and air from the injector to the engine.

When the engine starts and picks up its normal load, the vacuum in the intake manifold and engine cylinders lowers to such a degree as to permit ball valve 23 to drop by gravity away from' mat 2|, but as long as the engine operates with its normal load the degree of vacuum is such that ball valve 23 is maintained in an intermediate position between its. seats 2| and 25.

While so positioned, the suction produced as result of engine operation draws liquid lubricant upwardly through tube 21 and at the same time draws air from the chamber in the upper portion of thecontainer l0 through air inlet opening 28 to atomize the liquid lubricant and thus the liquid lubricant in vapor form passes upwardly through valve chamber l9, thence through aperture 2|] and bore IE to duct H, which conducts such vapor to the intake manifold and piston chambers of the engine.

Obviously, as the atomized liquid lubricant enters the intake manifold it mixes with the gaseous fuel that is drawn through the intake manifold from the carburetor and the mixture of gas and vaporized lubricant enters the piston chambers wherein the gas is ignited and, the lubricant acts on the surfaces of the pistons and the surfaces of the piston chambers to effectively lubricate same, thus accomplishing the desired results.

When the engine is pulling heavy loads, the vacuum in the intake manifold and engine cylinders is relatively low and insufficient to main-- 'tain the ball valve in its neutral position, with the result that the ball drops by gravity on to seat 25 to cut oii the flow of liquid lubricant and air through the cap to duct II.

My improved injector, in addition to effecting automatic feed of lubricant to the piston chambers of the engine while the same is in operation, functions as a valve lubricator and, by properly lubricating the engine pistons, the surfaces of the piston chambers and the valves, the tendency of carbon accumulations in the engine chambers and which lowers efficiency of engine operation, is effectively counterbalanced.

An, especially desirable feature of my invention is the construction whereby the valve acts automatically to cut off the flow of liquid lubricant to the engine while the latter is operating to produce a relatively high degree of vacuum in the intake manifold and the engine cylinders, said valve opening bygravity and maintained in such open position while the engine is operating to produce mean vacuum conditions in theengine cylinders and intake manifold.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an automatic lubricant injector for internal combustion engines that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended. a v

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved automatic lubricant injector for internal combustion engines, may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described,

without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic lubricant injector for internal combustion engines comprising an open mouthed container, a cap removably applied to the mouth of said container, said cap being provided with a valve chamber and an outlet leading from said chamber, there being a valve seat formed around the end of the outlet that communicates with said valve chamber, a plug closing said valve chamber, said plug being provided with an aperture, a tube connected to said plug and communicating with the aperture therein, which tube extends to the lower portion of the container,

said plug being provided with a valve seat around the aperture therein, a ball valve loosely arranged in said valve chamber and adapted to rest on either one of said valve seats and there being an aperture formed in said plug and leading from the valve seat therein to the exterior of said plug.

2. In an automatic lubricant injector for internal combustion engines, a-container for liquid lubricant, a cap removably applied to said container for normally closing the opening therein, said cap being provided with a valve chamber and an outlet leading from said valve chamber, a tube leading from the valve chamber to the lower portion of the container, a valve loosely mounted in said valve chamber and adapted to be acted upon by vacuum to close the outlet from 75 said valve chamber and which valve by gravity cuts off communication between said valve chamber and said tube and there being an air inlet port for said valve chamber, which port is closed when the valve is in position to cut off communication between said valve chamber and tube.

3. In an automatic lubricant injector for internal combustion engines, a container, a cap detachably applied to the mouth of said container,

10 said cap having a valve chamber and an outlet duct leading from said chamber, a valve seat formed at the inner end of said outlet duct, there being a. liquid lubricant inlet opening and an air inlet opening communicating with said valve chamber, a valve seat formed around the inner ends of said lubricant inlet opening and air inlet opening and a valve adapted to rest on either one of said valve seats. 

